Key Takeaways
“My Family and Other Animals” (Gerald Durrell): Gerald’s plan to get food from shepherd Yanni during siesta backfires. Yanni, a deep sleeper, only wakes after Roger the dog’s barking accidentally sends a cat fleeing up a grapevine, making the trellis shake.
“The Whistling School Boy” (Ruskin Bond): The story details Bond’s friendship with Umar at Bishop Cotton School, formed over shared experiences and a secret, satirical manuscript. Their Bond is tested by the 1947 Partition, which forces Umar to leave for Pakistan.
Reading as Reflection: The session opened with a discussion on reading’s power to cultivate patience and reflection, citing Manisha’s blog on libraries and Brinda’s reference to Barbara Kingsolver on how reading shapes temperament.
Next Week’s Special Session: Kartik Bajoria will lead a session on writing effective book reviews to help students share their reading and encourage others to read.
Topics
The Power of Reading
The session began with a reading of Manisha’s blog post, “Championing Readers,” which reflected on students talking in the library rather than reading.
The post questioned if reading has become a “leisure activity” and argued it requires patience, attention, and imagination.
Brinda connected this to Barbara Kingsolver’s view that reading changes temperament and is a source of hope for humanity.
Jugjiv Singh added that reading cultivates self-reflection, citing the example of Eichmann’s unthinking obedience during the Holocaust.
“My Family and Other Animals” (Gerald Durrell)
Context: Brinda introduced the book about naturalist Gerald Durrell’s childhood on Corfu Island, Greece, providing background on his family and passion for animals.
Plot: Gerald and his dog, Roger, are hungry after a swim. Gerald avoids Leonora’s house to escape her daughter’s health updates and Taki the fisherman’s siesta.
The Plan: Gerald decides to visit the shepherd Yanni, a light sleeper who rests under a grapevine trellis. He instructs Roger to bark loudly to wake Yanni.
The Outcome: The barking fails to wake Yanni. However, it startles a cat, which flees up the trellis, causing it to shake violently and finally waking the shepherd.
Hospitality & Lore: Yanni offers Gerald food and wine. He then shares a local remedy: a scorpion steeped in olive oil to cure stings, and a cautionary tale about a shepherd who died from a scorpion bite in his ear.
“The Whistling School Boy” (Ruskin Bond)
Context: Manisha Khanna read the story in Hindi, noting that it is autobiographical and provides a historical lens on the 1947 Partition.
Friendship & Shared Experiences: Bond, a quiet boy, befriends Umar, another quiet student. Their Bond strengthens as they play hockey together (Bond as goalkeeper, Umar as fullback) and share a secret manuscript.
The Manuscript: Bond writes a satirical manuscript about school life and teachers, with Umar as his first reader. It includes a poem mocking Mr Oliver.
Discovery & Discipline: Housemaster Mr Fischer finds the manuscript under Bond’s mattress. Bond receives six cane strokes but becomes a temporary “hero” among his peers.
The Partition’s Impact: Lord Mountbatten’s visit to Bishop Cotton School, where Bond’s father was an alumnus, is followed by the devastating 1947 Partition.
Separation: The school announces that Muslim students must vacate the hostel and be escorted to the new border. Bond and Umar meet one last time in a tunnel, discussing their uncertain future before Umar leaves for Pakistan.
Next Steps
All Participants:
Submit reflections (write-ups, drawings, role-plays) on today’s stories for publication on the “Joy of Learning Diaries” website.
Prepare for next week’s session with Kartik Bajoria on writing book reviews.
Students:
Keep notes on characters and vocabulary from “My Family and Other Animals” to aid recall.
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